A steep rise in global plastic production and significant discharge of plastic waste are expected in the near future. Plastics pose a threat to the ecosystem and human health through the generation of particulate plastics that act as carriers for other emerging contaminants, and the release of toxic chemical additives. Since plastic additives are not covalently bound, they can freely leach into the environment. Due to their occurrence in various environmental settings, the additives exert significant ecotoxicity. However, only 25% of plastic additives have been characterized for their potential ecological concern. Despite global market statistics highlighting the substantial environmental burden caused by the unrestricted production and use of plastic additives, information on their ecotoxicity remains incomplete. By focusing on the ecological impacts of plastic additives, the present review aims to provide detailed insights into the following aspects: (i) diversity and occurrence in the environment, (ii) leaching from plastic materials, (iii) trophic transfer, (iv) human exposure, (v) risks to ecosystem and human health, and (vi) legal guidelines and mitigation strategies. These insights are of immense value in restricting the use of toxic additives, searching for eco-friendly alternatives, and establishing or revising guidelines on plastic additives by global health and environmental agencies.

Membrane biofouling is one of the main challenges for the operation of membrane-based processes used for water and wastewater treatment. This study revealed the functional determinants of EPS in membrane biofouling of 23 bacterial strains isolated from a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant. We found that an α-1,4-glycosidic bond, amide II, and uronic acids of EPS significantly correlated with the fouling potentials of bacteria. The roles of these EPS groups in membrane fouling were impacted by calcium resulting from EPS-calcium interactions. In addition, our results also demonstrated that any perturbations in the sludge bacterial community in MBRs can lead to varied filtration potentials of the bulk liquor.